Newspaper columnist reveals he has terminal cancer

Newspaper columnist Peter Rhodes has revealed he has terminal cancer in an open letter to readers of the West Midlands publication.

Mr Rhodes revealed in the Express and Star he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer and multiple blood clots in his lungs and said doctors had said his condition was terminal.

His illness was discovered after he took a test for prostate cancer in August, he said.

The writer, who also worked on the Shropshire Star as well as the Black Country paper, thanked his thousands of readers and said that he was supported by "the best team of medics and carers anyone could wish for".

He wrote: "My aim now is to complete this year and I have every hope of celebrating Christmas."

The Wolverhampton based Express and Star said, in a career spanning four decades, Mr Rhodes had covered stories from across the globe on journeys that took him to the Falkland Islands, Hong Kong during the last days under British rule, South Africa as apartheid started to crumble and almost to the North Pole.

Mr Rhodes retired from his job as chief feature writer in 2012 but had continued to write a weekday column for the Express & Star and the Shropshire Star until October this year.

Editor Mark Drew said Mr Rhodes was "undoubtedly the best wordsmith" and always had a "special and very direct relationship with the reader".

He said Mr Rhodes wanted to choose the right time to tell people about his illness and described the open letter as "erudite as always".

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